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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun

Tom Aspinall: Michael Bisping ‘bigging me up,’ but I definitely am capable of beating Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall appreciates Michael Bisping’s high praise and thinks he’s ready to live up to it.

Bisping made the bold claim that Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) would run through UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) the same way he did Marcin Tybura when he finished him in Round 1 less than two weeks ago in the UFC Fight Night 224 headliner in London.

“Jon Jones is the heavyweight champion,” Bisping previously told Sky Sports. “He’s an incredible fighter. He’s incredible. He’s one of the greatest of all time. I don’t think he can hold a candle to Tom. I think Tom will do the same thing to Jon Jones as what he did to Marcin Tybura. I don’t think there’s anyone that can stop Tom Aspinall. He’s that good.”

Considering former UFC light heavyweight champ and current heavyweight champ Jones has been unbeatable in the octagon (outside of a controversial disqualification), it’s quite the statement from the U.K.’s first ever UFC champion.

But Aspinall is confident he has the capability of beating Jones – whether it’s a quick finish or not.

“Well Bisping is bigging me up a bit there isn’t he, Bisping will have some hate from that I’m sure,” Aspinall said in an interview with Sky Sports. “I definitely am capable of doing that to Jon Jones. I’m capable of doing that to anybody but whether I will or not, I don’t know. Jon Jones is one of the greatest of all time.

“But I’m definitely confident that I can beat him. Whether I can beat him with that much ease, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens. I feel like I’m one of the most skilled heavyweights ever and I feel like I’m also two speeds above everyone else. I’m doing stuff that people can’t even see at heavyweight”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 224.

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